Alex Ovechkin spent Washington Capitals media day answering a question that had little to do with hockey: Why did the NHL’s career goals leader appear in a campaign video for the political party aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin?
His answer was direct. “I’m Russian, and I support my country,” Ovechkin told reporters Thursday, September 17. He also said he was “for peace and love” and hoped the world would be all right.
The comments followed the appearance of Ovechkin in an advertisement for United Russia, the country’s ruling party, just before Russia’s September 18–20 parliamentary election. The video places one of American professional sports’ most recognizable international stars inside a political campaign at a moment when Russia remains at war with Ukraine.
Ovechkin says accepting the request was simple
According to Reuters, Ovechkin said he was asked to participate and agreed without hesitation. The campaign video shows him behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Viacheslav Fetisov, the former Soviet hockey star and Hockey Hall of Famer, also appears.
Ovechkin did not present the appearance as an endorsement of the war. Instead, he repeatedly emphasized his Russian identity, his desire for peace and his expectation that he will live in Russia with his family after his NHL career ends.
That distinction has not satisfied critics who argue that appearing in a ruling-party advertisement is itself a political act. United Russia is closely associated with Putin and dominates the country’s political system.
The advertisement arrived just before Russia votes
Russia’s parliamentary election begins Friday, September 18, and runs through Sunday. An Associated Press overview of the vote says United Russia is expected to retain control of the State Duma while the parties permitted to compete largely support Putin’s policies. The anti-war Yabloko party was barred from the ballot.
That context makes Ovechkin’s appearance more consequential than a generic celebrity commercial. The video is circulating while the Kremlin seeks to demonstrate domestic support during the first Russian parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Ovechkin has navigated similar scrutiny before. In 2017, he launched a public movement called “Putin Team.” After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, he called for “no more war” but said he was an athlete rather than a politician.
The Capitals acknowledge why people are upset
The Washington organization has not accused Ovechkin of violating team rules. But Capitals general manager Chris Patrick acknowledged that the situation is difficult and said he understood why people were upset, according to AP’s report on Thursday’s media day.
The issue has also moved beyond public criticism. AP reported that Latvia’s foreign minister added Ovechkin to the country’s list of prohibited people, preventing him from entering the NATO nation that borders Russia.
Ovechkin’s defenders have pointed to the pressures Russian public figures may face when asked to support the government. Ovechkin himself stressed that Russia is his home and that he plans to return there after retirement. His exact level of personal political commitment remains something only he can explain; his participation in the advertisement, however, is not disputed.
A historic hockey career enters another political debate
The controversy arrives as Ovechkin begins his 22nd NHL season. He turned 41 on September 17 and has scored 929 goals in 1,573 regular-season games, according to Reuters. He passed Wayne Gretzky to become the league’s career goals leader and led Washington to the Stanley Cup in 2018.
His stature is part of why the advertisement matters. Ovechkin is not merely a Russian celebrity; he is the longtime captain of a team in the U.S. capital and one of the most accomplished players in NHL history. His words and appearances carry a reach far beyond hockey.
There was speculation that last season might be his final one, but Ovechkin returned and said Thursday that he is focused on training camp. He has not committed to what comes after the 2026–27 season.
Why this story will follow him into the season
The Capitals can attempt to turn attention back to hockey, but the political questions are unlikely to disappear immediately. Russia’s election, the continuing war in Ukraine and Ovechkin’s longstanding public connection to Putin ensure that the campaign video will remain part of the discussion around him.
Ovechkin’s position is that supporting his country and calling for peace can coexist. Critics see his role in a United Russia advertisement as support for a political system directing the war. That unresolved tension—not his goal total—was the defining subject of his 41st birthday and the opening of another NHL season.
